Northgate meetings: Life is sometimes sweeter in the nosebleed section

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Community members have packed meeting rooms over the past month to share their views on a proposal to create a new Northgate school district by splitting off from larger Mt. Diablo Unified School District. PIctured here, a May 3, 2017 meeting, the second of two public hearings held by the Contra Costa County Board of Education at the Heather Farm’s Camellia Room in Walnut Creek.

WALNUT CREEK — If you were one of the hundreds of people who turned out for the recent series of public hearings on the proposed creation of a new Northgate school district over the past month, you’ve probably learned like most, it pays to get there early. Arriving on time or even five minutes before the meeting starts, often means not having a seat at all.

Such was the case for many audience members at an April 18 Walnut Creek City Council meeting on the proposed secession from larger Mt. Diablo school district. In an attempt to avert a fire hazard, police ended up ordering scores of people to go to the third-floor overflow room, where they could watch the proceedings on a big closed-circuit TV screen.

It might have been a disappointment at first for some meeting-goers. But in the end, the overflow section — mostly made up of secession opponents donning red “MDUSD Proud” buttons — ended up chatting, bonding and high-fiving each other at times, which would have been forbidden in the council chambers. Then, a crystal bowl of assorted Hershey’s bite-sized chocolates mysteriously appeared in the room, as well as a pitcher of cool water and plastic cups, a nicer spread than what was offered where the main event was taking place, no doubt.

After a bit of sleuthing, it was discovered that Kevin Safine, Walnut Creek’s parks and recreation director, ended up sharing the two bags of chocolates that he happened to have stashed in his office, feeling bad for those in the nosebleed section of the meeting. And he apparently didn’t even live in the affected areas of Walnut Creek, or have any stake in the proceedings. Just trying to be a nice guy, he said, that’s all.